Hebe plant named ‘HOP101’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Hebe plant named ‘HOP101’. characterized by its compact and upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit with numerous violet-colored flowers; and resistance to Stemphylium Leaf Spot.

Botanical designation: Hebe Comm. ex. Juss.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HOP101’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Firma E. Hopmans of Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands on Feb. 6, 2020, application number 2020/0418. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hebe plant, botanically known as Hebe Comm. ex. Juss, typically grown as a potted plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘HOP101’.

The new Hebe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Hebe plants with dark colored leaves and numerous attractive flowers.

The new Hebe plant originated from a self-pollination in April, 2015 of a proprietary selection of Hebe Comm. ex. Juss. identified as code number 279A, not patented. The new Hebe plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated self-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands in October, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hebe plant by terminal stem cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands, since February, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Hebe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hebe have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘HOP101’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘HOP101’ as a new and distinct Hebe plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly         mounding plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Freely flowering habit with numerous violet-colored flowers.     -   6. Resistance to Stemphylium Leaf Spot.

Plants of the new Hebe differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Hebe have violet-colored flowers whereas plants of the parent selection have bluish pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Hebe can be compared to plants of Hebe Comm. ex. Juss. ‘Zander’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hebe differ primarily from plants of ‘Zander’ in inflorescence length as plants of the new Hebe have shorter inflorescences than plants of ‘Zander’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the Hebe plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Hebe plant.

The photograph at the left of the sheet (FIG. 1) comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘HOP101’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the right of the sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of typical leaves and inflorescences.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown with two plants per 15-cm containers during the autumn initially in a glass-covered greenhouse and finished in a outdoor nursery in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Hebe production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 20° C. and night temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 16° C. Plants were pinched one time about one month after planting and were six months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Hebe Comm. ex. Juss. ‘HOP101’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hebe Comm.             ex. Juss. identified as code number 279A, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Hebe Comm.             ex. Juss. identified as code number 279A, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 50 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; typically             white to brown in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Evergreen perennial shrub.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact and upright to outwardly             spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; moderately             vigorous to vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 22.9             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 19.2             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 31.7 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit with about four primary branches, each with             about eight secondary branches; pinching will enhance             lateral branching. Length (excluding inflorescence): About             14.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 9 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to about 40° from vertical.             Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; moderately glossy.             Color, developing: Close to a blend of N77A and 200B. Color,             developed: Close to 146C; upward-facing surface, strongly             tinged with close to a blend of 177B and 178A and             downward-facing surface, slightly tinged with close to 177C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm.         -   Shape.—Obovate to close to elliptic.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire; not undulate to slightly and coarsely             undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; not             rugose; moderately glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous; not             rugose; slightly glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to a blend of             143A and 146A; midvein, close to a blend of N186C and 200A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to a blend of N77A             and N186C; towards the center, close to N79B. Fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137A to slightly darker             than NN137A; venation, close to N200B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to a blend of 147B and 148A             slightly tinged with close to N77A; venation, close to 147B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm by 4 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, upper             surface: Close to 148A; at the margins, close to N77A.             Color, lower surface: Close to N148B; at the margins, close             to N77B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged on dense axillary racemes; flowers face mostly             outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 90             flowers developing per inflorescence and about 2,000 flowers             developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             the summer into the autumn in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color: Developing sepals, close to 146B; developing petals,             close to 83A distally tinged with close to N81A.         -   Inflorescence height (length).—About 8.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7 mm by 7 mm.         -   Flower height.—About 1 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 3.5 mm.         -   Tube diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a single whorl;             upper petal broader than the lateral and lower petals;             petals fused about 45% of the petal length from the base.             Length, all petals: About 7 mm. Width, upper petal: About             3 mm. Width, lateral petals: About 2.5 mm. Width, lower             petal: About 2.25 mm. Shape, upper petal: Broadly obovate.             Shape, lateral and lower petals: Narrowly obovate. Apex, all             petals: Obtuse. Margin, all petals: Entire; not undulate.             Texture and luster, all petals, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Texture and luster,             throat and tube: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color,             all petals: When opening, upper surface: Close to a blend of             86A and N88A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 86A;             distally, lateral petals tinged with close to N81B. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 86A; venation, close to 86A;             color does not change with subsequent development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to a blend of 86A and N87A;             distally, lateral petals tinged with close to N81C;             venation, similar to lamina color; color does not change             with subsequent development. Throat: Close to N87B;             venation, close to N87B. Tube: Close to a blend of 86A and             N87A; venation, close to a blend of 86A and N87A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four arranged in a single             whorl and fused at the base. Length: About 3 mm to 3.25 mm.             Width: About 1.25 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Aspect:             Upright to about 40° from stem axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; slightly glossy.             Color: Close to 148A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Aspect: About 45° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; matte. Color:             Close to 146C.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: One at the base of             each flower. Length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape:             Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 138A. Color, lower surface: Close to             138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.             Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color: Close to N87A.             Anther size: About 0.5 mm by 1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther color: Close to N92A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen             color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma diameter: About 3 mm.             Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Light greyish             purple. Style length: About 7.97 mm. Style color: Close to             N79B. Ovary color: Close to a 143C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has             not been observed on plants of the new Hebe. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hebe have exhibited     resistance to Stemphylium Leaf Spot. To date, plants of the new Hebe     have not been noted to be resistant to pests and other pathogens     common to Hebe plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Hebe have exhibited good     garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, temperatures     ranging from about −7° C. to about 40° C. and to be suitable for     USDA Hardiness Zones 8 through 11. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hebe plant named ‘HOP101’ as illustrated and described. 